Every New Jersey member of Congress but one is urging House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to work to build "strong, bipartisan support" if additional disaster aid to recover from Hurricane Sandy is needed.

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, was the only New Jersey lawmaker not to sign a letter, which was also signed by lawmakers from New York and Connecticut.

"We are incredibly grateful for the swift, coordinated response by the President, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and state and local governments," the letter reads.

"We understand FEMA may have the resources it needs at this time, but as the full brunt of Hurricane Sandy is quantified, Congress must stand ready to provide the aid and assistance to the people and communities most devastated by this storm," the members wrote.

Garrett, R-Wantage, has opposed disaster aid in the past. He voted against relief for Hurricane Katrina, arguing there were not enough protections to ensure it would not be wasted.

He also pressed Boehner last year to ensure that increased funding for relief and recovery from Hurricane Irene be offset by cuts to the budget elsewhere.

Garrett's office said in an emailed statement he was "ready to work in a bipartisan basis with his Congressional colleagues to ensure funds are available," but did not explain why he chose not to sign the letter.

In a debate with Democratic opponent Adam Gussen on Friday, Garrett defended the vote against Katrina by citing examples where money was wasted.

“My goal is when we appropriate dollars out of Washington, let’s make sure those dollars actually get to the people who need them,” he said.

Every New Jersey member of Congress but one is urging House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to work to build "strong, bipartisan support" if additional disaster aid to recover from Hurricane Sandy is needed.

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-Wantage, was the only New Jersey lawmaker not to sign a letter, which was also signed by lawmakers from New York and Connecticut.

"We are incredibly grateful for the swift, coordinated response by the President, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and state and local governments," the letter reads.

"We understand FEMA may have the resources it needs at this time, but as the full brunt of Hurricane Sandy is quantified, Congress must stand ready to provide the aid and assistance to the people and communities most devastated by this storm," the members wrote.

Garrett, R-Wantage, has opposed disaster aid in the past. He voted against relief for Hurricane Katrina, arguing there were not enough protections to ensure it would not be wasted.

He also pressed Boehner last year to ensure that increased funding for relief and recovery from Hurricane Irene be offset by cuts to the budget elsewhere.

Garrett's office said in an emailed statement he was "ready to work in a bipartisan basis with his Congressional colleagues to ensure funds are available," but did not explain why he chose not to sign the letter.

In a debate with Democratic opponent Adam Gussen on Friday, Garrett defended the vote against Katrina by citing examples where money was wasted.

“My goal is when we appropriate dollars out of Washington, let’s make sure those dollars actually get to the people who need them,” he said.